Welcome to the first addition of RomCom Rants, and article where I rant about the things I like and the things I don’t in romantic comedies.

13 Going on 30 is a RomCom classic if I’ve ever seen one. Made in 2004, this film stars Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Garner, and Judy Greer. If you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing this movie, this brief summary is for you. Jenna Rink (whose older self is played by Jennifer Garner) is a thirteen-year-old girl who wants nothing more than to be a part of the popular crowd. The film starts off on the day of Jenna’s 13th birthday party. She has invited Tom-Tom (Judy Greer), the  most popular girl in their grade, and her best friend/next door neighbor, Matt (Mark Ruffalo).At the party, Matt gives Jenna a dream house sprinkled with magic dust.

Embarrassed that the “popular” kids will make fun of Matt’s heartfelt gift, Jenna puts it in her closet. When her party flops, Jenna locks herself in said closet and yells how she wants to be thirty, not thirteen. She chants, “Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving” as she slams her body into the shelf
that holds the dream house. The magic dust from the house falls on Jenna and the next thing she knows, she wakes up in New York City, 17 years later. The rest of the movie follows Jenna as she tries to figure out her new life.

I really love Jenna as a character. I think she is relatable. She worries about the same things I think every girl worries about at some point in their life. She worries that she isn’t pretty enough, so she overcompensates with make-up. She doesn’t think her body is filled out, so she stuffs her bra.

Personally, the first time I saw this movie I was in the third grade, struggling with these same issues. It was really good for me to see the struggles Jenna had because it showed me that you aren’t going to be the same

body type your whole life. Your body changes, but that doesn’t make you any less beautiful. Even though it appears that Jenna’s insecurities go away once she makes her transformation, I think they just take a new form, but even though she is insecure about aspects of herself, she never lets her confidence dwindle, which I think is a great thing for young women to see. Love yourself girl.

Her character is also believable because you can still see her thirteen-year-old innocence in her thirty-year-old self. She doesn’t wear clothes a 30-year-old in 2004 would normally wear. Her outfits are either bright and loud, like someone growing up in the eighties would wear, or modest and simple, like something a child would wear. This allows the viewer to sympathize with Jenna and empathize with her innocence.

Even though I love Jenna’s character, there are times where I am disappointed in her. For example.

SPOILER ALERT

When she first made her transformation, she found out thirty-year-old Jenna did not have the best morals. She was kissed by a man married to her coworker, after Jenna pushed him off her, she discovered she had been having a not so discrete affair with him. She was appalled by her behavior and left work appalled by herself. But when Matt kisses her, a soon-to-be-married man, she doesn’t question her behavior at all. She doesn’t even act like they did something wrong (compared to Matt, whose face obviously shows regret). This really shows how young and immature she truly is.

Even though Matt is obviously in love with Jenna, and has been since they were young, I appreciate the realistic ending. They do not end up together right away, he picks his fiancé because even though he knows he loves Jenna, he always knows that he made a promise to his fiance and needs to honor that promise.

It’s not until Jenna is able to travel back to her thirteenth birthday party and pick Matt over Tom Tom that they are able to have a happy ending. Even though it is sad in the moment when Matt reluctantly rejects Jenna, you are able to see how much they truly care about each other even though they can’t be together.

END OF SPOILER

The thing I like the most about this movie is how fun it is. It has several choreographed dance numbers to classic 80s song like Thriller and Love is a Battlefield.

Jenna still does things that a thirteen-year-old would do like have sleepovers and eat chocolate chip pancakes with smiley-faces on them. It really gives this movie character that not every other RomCom has. The outfits are another thing I enjoyed in this movie. I know I previously discussed Jenna’s outfits when she’s older, but the outfits she wears, as well as the other characters, is totally eighties and totally fabulous.

RAPID RANT

Most of this film is centered around Jenna’s career. Jenna hires Matt to take pictures for WORK. Jenna gets in a fight with Lucy about WORK. Jenna is focused on WORK most of the film and her relationship with Matt directly stems off her passion for her WORK. If she didn’t have a job for him to do, they wouldn’t spend so much time together and eventually fallen for each other. Even though Jenna’s career is in the limelight most of the film, it is not addressed at all in the ending. I think Jenna should get the guy but still remain a badass Magazine Editor.

If you liked what you read, you can find 13 going on 30 on Netflix. Thanks for reading.

The post RomCom Rants: “Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving” appeared first on KRUI Radio.

I didn’t know he was coming home until that previous Monday. I had been sitting on the pleather couch in Doug’s apartment, Mitchell’s friend who I stayed with while Mitch was away, when I heard the door unlock. Doug already came and left, so I was suspicious. I leapt off the brown couch and took my position in front of the door. If someone was breaking in, I would be ready.

I watched as the shiny, gold doorknob turned. I crouched down, preparing myself to pounce. Finally the door swung open. It was Mitch standing tall, dressed in his army greens with a smile plastered shamelessly across his face.

“Hey Jake, ya miss me?” Mitchell asked as he knelt in front of me to pet my short chocolate hair. I got so excited that I knocked him to the ground and planted a slobbery kiss smack dab on his clean shaven face. Of course I had missed him and now that he was back, safe and sound, I was not going to let him out of my sight.

The rest of that week, Mitch and I spent every waking hour together. Each morning we got up early and jogged to the dog park, where we played Frisbee until it got crowded. After that, we ran back to our apartment and watched TV for the rest of the day. Every now and then, someone would knock on the door during the day, but Mitch wouldn’t answer it. He just kept his eyes on the screen.

At night, Mitch would toss and turn and scream and sweat in his sleep. One night it got really bad. Mitch began screaming through hot tears, “No don’t take him, take me,” I began licking the salty water off his afflicted face. Suddenly, Mitch woke up and shoved me off the bed. I hit my shoulder on the wood floor and let out a distressed whimper. My cry for help brought Mitch back to reality.

“Oh Jake, I am so sorry! I didn’t realize that was you,” he said as he picked me up and placed me on the bed. He rubbed behind my ears as I recovered.

“I guess I am just having a hard time adjusting this time. I don’t know why, but this tour is staying with me more than the others,” Mitch confessed as he laid back down.

After that, I wanted to make sure Mitch didn’t have any more bad dreams. So that Saturday night, I watched him until my eyes were too heavy to stay open. When I woke up, I instantly looked over, expecting to see Mitchell sprawled out with his chestnut hair in disarray, drool spilling slowly out of his mouth like molasses. But Mitchell was nowhere to be found. I stretched out to his side of the bed to feel that the sheets were cold and crisp, meaning he had been gone for a while. I assumed he went for a run without me since I hurt my shoulder when he threw me off the bed.

I didn’t think anything of it as I jumped off the bed in search of breakfast. I trotted to the kitchen where my chrome bowl was waiting for me, filled to the brim with chicken-flavored kibble. As I was about to dig in, a foul smell hit my snout. The smell reminded me of an old iron pipe. Curious where it was coming from, I left my delicious breakfast behind to go investigate.

I walked back into Mitchell’s room but the scent became less potent. My next destination was the bathroom. As I advanced, the smell crept its way back to my nose. When I arrived at the bathroom door, I found it slightly cracked open. Now the iron scent was overpowering. I nudged the door open slowly. The first thing I saw was blood, and a lot of it. The deep brown sludge covered the tiled floor. Then I saw Mitchell. His arms and legs were thrown chaotically on the ground and his face resembled a tortured man. A piece of notebook paper with his scrawled handwriting sat above his bloody head. A pistol with a silencer attached laid a foot next to his right hand. I stood there in disbelief as I took the scene in.

I let out a tormented howl. I did not want to see my best friend like this. He was a hero, not someone who should be mangled by his own hand. I began to whine as I shuffled over to his contorted body. I solemnly licked his face one last time before I toppled down beside him. I felt the thick blood soak into my fur, but I didn’t care. I continued crying until I heard a knock on the door.

A few minutes following the knock, the manager of the building came in as a result of the noise I was making. When he saw Mitch’s body, he turned around and threw up. After he got his barrings, he got out his phone and called the police. When they showed up, a woman in a dark blue uniform came over and sympathetically stroked my head with a latex glove. She stopped when she saw the note laying by Mitch. She slowly picked it up and began to read it out loud. I zoned it out. I knew why he killed himself, I didn’t need to hear confirmation. It wasn’t until I heard my name that my ears perked up.

“And tell Jake that he truly was a man’s best friend.”

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“Ahhhhhhh,” Joe cries.

The light makes her feel like someone is stabbing her brain with needles. She feels hands grab her by her tattered shirt and lift her to her feet. When her eyes finally adjust to the brightness, she see’s her father holding her up. Suddenly she remembers what happened. Without even thinking about it, she throws her hands around him. Unlike before, he embraces her without ripping out her flesh.

“Am I…dead?” Joe asks.

“Yes, now you are one of us,” her dad says.

She follows her dad to the door. Everything seems to be moving slowly around her. Even her thoughts are moving slowly. He leads her into a ransacked rest stop at the end of the street. Other zombies are gathered there feeding on the defenseless store clerk. Joe sees the flesh being ripped off the man’s face and her mouth begins to water. Before she knows it, she has pounced on top of the man, shoving the others out of her way.

She sinks her teeth into his shoulder and feels the thick blood flow into her mouth. The taste speeds everything up. Suddenly it is as if she was still human. She feels a rush of adrenaline flow through her body, but unfortunately, it fades quickly.

Once she is finished, she gets up and walks back over to her father. She catches her reflection in the a mirror that is placed above the door. Her black hair is in untamed knots all over her head. Her skin, once the color of olives, now looks like the color of slushy snow on the highway. Her body is covered in dried blood and dirt. She is hunched over so much that you can make out her spine. Her clothes are tattered and worn. Her shirt, ripped at the neckline, exposing her milky shoulder. Her arms are turned in a way that makes her look like she doesn’t have any joints.  Then she sees her eyes, the once beautiful, green gems are now dark and foggy. When she used to look into them, she would see a sort of gleam or sparkle, now all she sees is emptiness.

Check out the first and second part of Joe’s adventure.

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Not Gonna– “Not Gonna” is very mellow. When I close my eyes when I’m listening to it, it feels like I am floating in the ocean, letting the waves move me.

It’s really a combination of the Lily and Madeleine’s voices and the piano and drums underneath that give this wave feel. The vibe of the song is mellow, but if you listen to the lyrics, it’s pretty deep. My favorite line from the song is:

“Keep it together. Don’t lose it like prom night.”

For the Weak– This song is a lot more upbeat than the previous one. That’s not the only difference it has though. The instruments are different, the beat is different, even the vocals are different. The sister’s voices sound happier in this song, which is funny because the song really isn’t a happy song.

From what I gathered, the song is about a relationship ending because of an affair.

“I just want you to tell me now, how this is going to go, cause I’m sick of losing sleep.”

Westfield – The way the song starts reminds me of the way “Wouldn’t it be Nice” by the Beach Boys begins. It leads in with an acoustic guitar strumming a few notes, then goes into the vocals. This acoustic guitar stays through out the song which I think gives the song a carefree song.

But like the first two songs, this is deceiving. It is about driving home with someone sitting in an awkward silence because neither of you want to address the issues you have. I really like how powerful Lily and Madeleine’s lyrics are. Their vocals make them good, but that combined with their thought provoking lyrics really makes them worth listening to.

Chicago – This song is about the “Windy City” as you probably gathered from the title. It is about the singer’s significant other coming to visit her in Chicago.

“Windy City lights are all I see tonight, and I’m blinded.” The sister’s harmonies are amazing in this song. The tempo is nice and slow which really lets you appreciate the vocals.

Hourglass – This song is absolutely beautiful. It has so many good things going for it. The vocals for one are flawless, both the harmonies and the solos.

Once you are done being distracted by the sister’s talent, you can pay attention to the lyrics: poetic and deep, but subtle enough that anyone can relate to it. Definitely one to check out.

“Rain falling hard and steady, don’t stop until I’m ready”

Hotel Pool– The beginning of this song starts off with a slow piano solo. After the first thirty seconds, the drums and guitar comes in, which picks it up.

The meaning of the song is pretty simple, just about her wanting to meet someone at “the hotel pool,” but the accompaniment as well as the harmonies the sisters provide really make you want to listen to the song a second time. “So meet me at the hotel pool and know it’s only me and you.”

Smoke Tricks– I don’t understand the name of this song, but that just reinforces it being Indie. The song begins with the sisters singing almost monotone. It gives it a futuristic feel that stays with it through out the song.

“I’m disconnected and frozen, just like the words that I’ve spoken. Rolling it up, no emotion.” It is a very different song from the others. They have cut out filler that the other songs have, so you have to focus on the vocals, which I think is a nice change from the rest of the album.

Midwest Kid– I really like the way this song starts. There is a song effect at the very beginning of the song that sounds as if a record is being put on or someone turning a radio.

“We know we won’t make it in the end. Keep talking about our life long friends. Do your best to forget about it.” The end of the song has some cool sound effects too. It almost sounds like the noises R2-D2 makes in Star Wars and then a page turning.

Small Talk – This song features a bumping electric guitar that really helps this song be upbeat.

“Don’t want to fall into a world with no water, ten stories tall.” The lyrics are great and so are the vocals, just like the rest of the album, but this song didn’t stick out to me as much as the others.

Nothing – This song starts off with birds singing which I actually love. I think some artists try to stick to music they can make, but they forget about the music that is already around them.

This is my favorite song on the album. The lyrics are pretty heart-wrenching, but I think that is what I like about it. It is real. It’s about how a girl feels when she sees her boyfriend with another girl.

“You knew the way to my heart better than I knew knew myself. Losing her to you was harder than anything else, Since you left I now know better and I finally see what you are to me. You’re nothing.” 

I really enjoyed this album. It wasn’t a chore like some albums are to listen to, it was fun. I could listen to it all day and not get sick of it. I love Lily and Madeleine’s vocals and their lyrics. They don’t have any super upbeat songs, most of the songs aren’t dancing songs, so if that is what you are looking for, you won’t find it here. But if you don’t mind it slow, I would recommend checking Keeping it Together out. If you like what you hear, you can check out Lily and Madeleine’s other albums on Spotify. If you want to learn more about them or see them in concert check out  their website and follow them on Facebook.

The post Album Review: “Keep It Together” by Lily and Madeleine appeared first on KRUI Radio.

I feel tiny feet fall into my hands.

Squat

Squat

S

T

A

N

D

100 pounds of girl rest in my hand.

“Suck in your butt!”

“Relax your shoulders!”

“Don’t forget to breathe!”

Inhale, Exhale.

Inhale, Exhale.

I squeeze my flyers foot tighter.

Look over at my other base.

We stand like statues.

Sturdy

Unmoving

We breathe together this time.

Innnnnnnnnnhhhhhhale

Exxxxxxhallleeeeeeeee

“Popping Ready 1,2”

Squat

Flick

Catch
I feel 100 pounds of girl lay in my arms, safe and sound.

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The Young: This song starts off with a beautiful saxophone solo, which is then followed by an upbeat snare drum tempo. Vocals don’t come in until about thirty seconds into the song and when they do, it sounds like the voice is far away.

I really enjoyed the instruments on this number, I especially like how the song started off with them in the spotlight. I don’t think this happens enough. The song wouldn’t be what it is without them so I appreciate the artist showing them off for a bit.

The rest of  the song left me speechless. It was so catchy and upbeat that I don’t think my words could do it justice. I would recommend this song for anyone in a dancing mood. Even if you aren’t a dancer, I would be surprised if you didn’t catch yourself nodding to the beat.

Long Way Back Down: When I first heard this song I imagined a bad boy dressed in all black, with Ray Bans on, getting off his motorcycle in slow motion while girls swoon over him.

This song sounds a little darker than the one before it, but it still has hints of a saxophone like the former. The bass guitar is the instrument that sticks out the most in this song. It helps to make the song more intricate.

Oh Calico: This song is a love song about a girl who lives in Calico that the narrator is in love with.

This song is nice and the artist’s voice is wonderful, but it did not stick out to me that much. I think this song is less unique than other and I would say it more mainstream.

Out of all the songs, I would say this one is the most mainstream. It is a good song and I would listen to it, but it would not be my first choice.

Pearblossom Hwy: This song really reminds me of John Mayer and Gavin Degraw. I think the acoustic guitar makes me think of Mayer and the vocals remind me of Degraw. The beginning of the song makes me think of the song “Daughters” by Mayer.

So if you enjoy either of these artists, you may like this song.

Yesterday’s Not Far Ahead: The beat of this song is very upbeat like the first song of this album. The first time I heard this song I couldn’t help but tap my foot along.

This song also reminds me of Gavin Degraw. I am personally a big fan of him, so I think that makes me like this song even more. I didn’t care for the lack of instruments solos in this piece that he put in the others. When he does that, it really adds to the song, so that was missing from this one.

Bittersweet Wine: This song is the slowest one on the album. It is the only one that has no vocals. Without the words, it really makes you think what the message is.

When I listen to this song, I picture a romantic scene in a movie. Every time I picture a different scene, sometimes it’s intimate and sometimes it’s sad.

The way the song ends is dope. It just begins to fade with about thirty seconds left and the last ten seconds is pure silence. The silence really lets the listener think about what the piece was trying to say.

If you don’t enjoy songs that is only instrumental, I would not recommend this for you.

Lie Pistol Love: This song is slow like “Bittersweet Wine,” but this one has vocals. The vocals in this piece stick out to me more than in the other songs.

James uses crescendos and decrescendos through out, which makes it powerful. The build up in this song tugged at my heartstrings the first time I heard it and gave me goosebumps.

If you are looking for an empowering song, I would check this one out.

The Only Real Thing: The only thing I enjoyed about this song was the chorus. I did not think it had much to give instrumentally, except for the chorus.

The lyrics were beautifully deep, but it is hard to understand them and they are not given enough support from the instruments.

I would still recommend this song, but I don’t think the listener will get much from it until the chorus.

That Sound: This reminded me of a song that should be played on a Christian station. It wasn’t the words that made me think this, but more the beat.

The song did not strike my fancy but I did like the ending. He used a instrument solo, like he did in the songs at the beginning of the album. The end was the best part of the song, in my opinion.

He picks the most interesting instruments to use. That is what sets James away from other artists. He doesn’t focus on only his voice and his lyrics, but also the music that accompanies all of that. He gives it power that most musicians don’t.

The titles in this album really caught my attention. I liked how the titles ranged from simple, vague words to odd combination of words that you wouldn’t normally put together. The titles give this album an edge, it intrigues the listener to see what they mean.

I thought this album was excellent, but I got less impressed with it as it continued. The songs at the beginning were very unique and different and then as I neared the end, I noticed the songs becoming more mainstream and blah.

If you are into mainstream music, I think you would enjoy this album. I think all the songs are good, but I think the artist has the capacity for more fun and different music.

If you are interested in learning more about James you can follow him on Facebook or Twitter.

You can also listen to his album on Spotify or buy it on iTunes.

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